Services

Estate Planning
Everyone needs an Estate Plan. You may only need a simple Will or Trust, or you might require a complex Estate Plan. Occasionally, all that needs to be done is to make sure that all of your assets are titled correctly so that they will pass directly to your heirs even without a Will.  With the cost of long-term care increasing at an alarming rate, many people are worried that they will lose most or all of their hard-earned assets paying for care.  It is prudent as part of any Estate Plan to put in place safeguards to protect your assets, yet still allow you to receive the care you need.

Probate
If all you need is a lawyer to help you navigate the confusing Connecticut Probate Court process, I can do that for you.  If there is a dispute in regard to the administration of a probate estate or trust, you will need an attorney with litigation experience and knowledge about the workings of the Probate Court.  I have significant litigation experience and am comfortable navigating the Connecticut Probate Courts.

Planning for Persons with Special Needs
Planning for the care and maintenance of loved ones who have physical or mental impairments that impact their ability to provide for themselves is imperative.  A Special Needs Trust or a Revocable Living Trust will allow you to leave some or all of your assets to a loved one who is not capable of managing their own finances and without compromising their ability to receive Supplemental Security Income or Medicaid benefits.

LGBTQ Estate Planning

Estate planning is essential for the LGBT community because it provides protections to help guard against discrimination when relatives are reluctant to recognize your relationship, even if you are married.

In many states, if a member of the LGBTQ community fails to plan properly, the result can be devastating to his or her spouse or partner and family. Having no Estate Plan, or relying upon a Will, Joint Tenancy, or Tenancy in Common as an Estate Plan, is risky when relatives refuse to acknowledge your relationship and are likely to contest a Will.  Plus, an Estate Plan is critical in case of an accident or illness that renders a partner or spouse incapable of making decisions or managing his or her affairs. Without a proper Estate Plan, the other partner could be legally precluded from having any role in the decision-making of his or her partner’s care, managing his or her affairs, or even having access to the incapacitated partner.

Even if you are married, planning is critical in the event you encounter resistance of relatives to recognize your marital rights.